Looking at the dozen or so fish of varying sizes flopping across the ground, Mu Yuqing could not help frowning in distress.
The fish were far too heavy. Even if she used all her strength, there was no way she could carry them back alone.
After a brief moment of thought, she lifted her head and looked toward Yang Xingyue, who was blinking at her curiously with wide innocent eyes.
“Yue’er,” Mu Yuqing called gently, “why don’t you run home and ask Nanny to come help? We’ll carry the fish back together, alright?”
“Okay, Mother!”
Yang Xingyue nodded obediently. Before her words had even fully faded, she had already turned around and scampered off on her tiny legs, bouncing away like a lively little rabbit.
Not long afterward, a figure appeared in the distance, hurrying toward them.
As the person drew closer, Mu Yuqing recognized the nanny carrying two large bamboo baskets suspended from a shoulder pole.
The nanny set the baskets down the moment she arrived. When she saw the fish scattered all over the ground, delight immediately flashed across her face. However, her expression quickly shifted into worry as another thought crossed her mind.
“Oh dear, Miss,” she sighed, “how did you manage to catch so many fish? Although it’s certainly a blessing, fish have such a strong smell. I’m afraid they won’t taste very good.”
Mu Yuqing quickly smiled and reassured her.
“Don’t worry, Nanny. These were freshly caught from our own pond.”
She glanced up at the sky and noticed the daylight was already fading. Feeling pressed for time, she urged,
“It’s getting late. Let’s hurry and bring them home. Tonight, I’ll personally make fish stew for everyone. I guarantee it’ll taste delicious.”
The nanny did not say anything more.
Since her mistress had already decided, she naturally would not object. Still, she could not help muttering inwardly.
Although the young miss occasionally entered the kitchen in the past, her cooking skills had always been rather… difficult to praise.
Calling it “delicious” was honestly quite generous.
Mu Yuqing naturally knew exactly what the nanny was thinking.
After all, the original owner of this body truly had terrible cooking skills.
But that no longer mattered.
The current Mu Yuqing was completely different.
Back in her previous life, she had been extremely particular about healthy eating due to her profession as a doctor. Whenever she had free time, she disliked eating takeout loaded with artificial additives. Instead, she preferred going home to cook for herself.
Over the years, her culinary skills had become exceptionally refined.
She selected two lively carp from the basket and set them aside. The remaining fish were placed into a wooden basin filled with water for temporary storage while she instructed the nanny to clean the two carp.
As for Mu Yuqing herself, she quickly returned to her room to change out of her damp clothes.
In this era, under such poor medical conditions, catching a cold was no small matter. A simple illness could easily become life threatening.
Once she had changed into a clean and simple outfit, she walked back outside.
By then, the nanny had already cleaned the fish and placed them beside the stove.
Mu Yuqing picked up the kitchen knife and was just about to cut the fish into chunks when she suddenly noticed something wrong.
The fish gills had not been removed properly, and the belly had not been thoroughly cleaned either.
No wonder people thought fish smelled unpleasant.
If cooked this way, the fishy odor would be overwhelming.
Thinking this, Mu Yuqing picked the fish back up and headed toward the well in the courtyard.
The nanny, who had been busy in the kitchen, caught sight of her mistress carrying the fish outside again. Alarmed that something might be wrong, she hurried after her.
As she approached, she saw Mu Yuqing squatting beside the well. One hand firmly gripped the fish head while the other reached inside to remove the remaining innards.
Seeing the nanny’s puzzled expression, Mu Yuqing explained patiently,
“Nanny, the gills and everything inside the belly must be cleaned thoroughly. Otherwise, the fish will smell terribly fishy and won’t taste good at all. Only after cleaning it properly will the stew turn out fresh and flavorful.”
The nanny immediately looked enlightened.
In the past, they rarely had the chance to eat fish and knew almost nothing about proper preparation. Hearing Mu Yuqing explain it so clearly finally made her understand.
She nodded repeatedly.
“I’ll remember that from now on. Thank you for teaching me, Miss.”
After finishing the cleaning, Mu Yuqing stood up and said,
“Nanny, start the fire. Let’s cook.”
Mu Yuqing first scrubbed the wok spotless before carefully wiping away every trace of water with a clean cloth. She waited patiently until the heat from the fire completely dried the pan.
Only then did she slowly pour in the cooking oil.
As the oil heated up, faint sizzling sounds gradually rose from the wok.
At that moment, Mu Yuqing pinched a little salt between her fingers and sprinkled it evenly into the oil. The grains scattered like snowflakes, crackling softly upon contact with the hot surface.
This method would keep the fish from sticking to the pan.
Standing nearby, the nanny watched everything with wide astonished eyes.
A rich and irresistible fragrance slowly drifted through the air, making her inhale deeply several times without realizing it.
She was utterly amazed.
In all her years, she had never seen fish prepared in such a way. The aroma alone was enough to make one’s mouth water.
Mu Yuqing glanced toward the three people staring eagerly at the food.
The nanny and the two children all had bright shining eyes fixed firmly on the pot, looking so greedy they were practically drooling.
Unable to help herself, she let out a soft laugh.
“Nanny, stop staring already,” she said warmly. “Quickly go get the bowls. It’s time to eat.”
“Oh! Right away! I’ll get them immediately!”
The nanny hurried off toward the kitchen at once.
Meanwhile, Yang Xingyue bounced around excitedly like a happy little sparrow.
“We’re eating! The fish Mother cooked smells amazing! Brother, we finally get to eat delicious fish tonight!”
She quickly ran to the water basin and carefully washed her hands clean.
Then, with her tiny legs moving as fast as they could, she skipped back to the table and climbed into her chair, her little face glowing with happiness as she eagerly waited for dinner.